Gujarat finalises guidelines for rehabilitation

Gujarat finalises guidelines for rehabilitation
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

GANDHINAGAR, MARCH 4: The Gujarat Government has finalised detailed guidelines for the relocation and rehabilitation of the quake-ravaged villages in Gujarat under its ``public-private partnership scheme for total rehabilitation of villages'', involving NGOs and corporate houses in the scheme.

Besides inviting voluntary organisations to participate in reconstruction of the collapsed/damaged houses in the affected rural areas, the Goverment has decided to involve NGOs, on cost-sharing basis, in a sectoral reconstruction scheme under which they will be allowed to rebuild schools and health centres destroyed in the killer-quake.

The guidelines were finalised at a meeting of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, here on Saturday. The meeting was also attended by Revenue and Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, Roads and Building (Panchayat) Minister Nitin Patel, Chief Secretary L N S Mukundan, Rehabilitation Task Force chairman K V Bhanujan and other senior officers.

A copy of the guidelines made available for The Indian Express points out that the completely destroyed villages will be relocated, in consultation with the local Gram Sabha and by involving NGO, on the government land. And if the public land is not available for the relocation, the government will acquire private land by invoking the urgency provisions under the Land Acquisition Act, or by negotiations. A provision for extra 15-20 per cent land will be made for future expansion.

The normative minimum infrastructure will be provided in a reconstructed village, which include a three-room primary school, panchayat house, water storage, stand post, bal mandir/anganwadi, approach road, electricity etc. The NGOs will also be allowed to construct a work-shed as part of economic rehabilitation plan of the quake-hit handloom and handicraft artisans. The Industry Department is also working out a plan to set up Gramodyog Vikas Kendras in each of the quake-battered villages to economically rehabilitate the villagers.

Those who want to construct bigger houses can avail of loan up to Rs one lakh, subject to the condition that the construction would conform to the earthquake-resistant norms set by the government. In all cases where the houses are constructed at a new site under the scheme, there will be a restriction on the transfer/sale of such hosues for a period of two years. All houses will have to be insured against earthquake/cyclone, say the guidelines.

In the cases where the dwelling unit occupied by a tenant (as provided under the Bombay Rent Control Act) has collapsed or has been pulled down for safety reasons, the landlord of the house will be given assistance, with the condition that he would give back the possession to his tenant soon after the house is reconstructed.

Under the guidelines, NGOs will now be allowed to adopt even those villages where not less than 50 per cent of the houses have collapsed and where the villagers do not want to be relocated. Earlier, the Government had decided to permit NGOs to adopt only those of the 450 villages where 70 per cent of the houses have been reduced to rubble in the devastating quake. The Government will share 50 per cent of the total cost of reconstruction with NGOs.